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  • Active
  • Severity: Medium
  • Browser Hijackers
  • Windows, Mac
  • Verified · May 2019

How to remove Page-ups.com virus

A step-by-step removal guide for affected devices. Follow the verified procedure below — most readers complete it in under 10 minutes.

Gabriel E. Hall · Passionate web researcher

Page-ups.com is a browser hijacker that alters homepage, new tab address and the search engine of the browser without permission

Page-ups.com virus

Page-ups.com is a fake search engine that is established as soon as a potentially unwanted program is installed on your computer. This usually happens if you skip necessary steps during the installation of free programs you download from the third-party websites.

Page-ups.com hijack[1] begins with setting modification of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Internet Explorer, or another installed browser. Because the PUP sneaks in without you noticing, you might be surprised that your homepage, new tab and search engine are now changed.

From that point of time, you will be browsing the web via a hijacked browser, and such disturbances like pop-ups, banners, deals, offers, in-text links, and other sponsored content will become a frequent occurrence. Also, the Page-ups.com virus' altered search results might lead you to less popular or even untrustworthy sites, in addition to influencing your browsing destinations.

Name Page-ups.com
Type Browser hijacker/PUP
Distribution Software bundles, ads, third-party websites
Symptoms Altered web browser settings, slow browser, redirects, ads, etc.
Risk factors Redirects to questionable sites, information exposure to unknown parties, malware infection
Termination To get rid of the hijacker, delete it via Control Panel/Applications folder or use security software for manual removal
Optimization For best results, scan your machine with FortectIntego after PUP termination

The Page-ups.com page itself copies the design of Windows 8 and can create an impression of a trustworthy and professional search engine. However, we can assure you that it has nothing to do with Microsoft, and is a potentially unwanted program developed by unknown authors (and it is not the only information that is lacking, as Privacy Policy and ToS documents are not provided either).

Once installed, Page-ups.com virus will drop batch files[2] on the system and modifies your browser shortcuts to address those files. The batch file contains a command that opens Page-ups.com/all domain, which then redirects the user to one of the following search engines:

Be aware that these are well-known search tools that are usually promoted via potentially unwanted programs. Therefore, if you noticed one of them appearing in your browser, remove Page-ups.com redirect virus immediately.

Page-ups.com redirect

Search results delivered by these search engines are selected in a way to address your browsing habits and not your search query. Therefore, you might see some annoying ads in the results’ pages.

However, clicking on them is even more dangerous as this can trigger a redirect to an untrustworthy external site. If you do not want to end up visiting highly suspicious domains, stop using this search engine. NoVirus.uk[3] team suggests deleting the hijacker with a help of an IT expert if you are interested in the manual removal option.

It can be hard to find the batch files and delete them as well as reverse changes made to browser shortcuts, so we also provide an alternative Page-ups.com removal method. You can just run an anti-spyware software like FortectIntego or SpyHunterCombo Cleaner and clean your system automatically.

Ways you can infect your computer with a similar hijacker

Browser hijackers are incredibly annoying because they usually sneak into the computer system without user’s notice. They are often found in software bundles that can be downloaded from various file sharing sites. Nevertheless, you should also be aware that even most reputable bands bundle software (that's you you can see anti-virus software promotions in uTorrent installation wizards). Thus, use caution at all times, even if you trust the distributor.

If you want to keep your computer PUP-free, remember that you need to choose Custom or Advanced option in software installers. This will provide you with access to optional programs bundled with your downloaded software. All that is left is to deselect the unwanted components and proceed with the installation then.

Page-ups.com PUP

Remove Page-ups.com redirect virus and fix your browsers

It can be hard to remove Page-ups.com virus because it spreads its components all over the system. Unlike other browser hijackers, it doesn’t simply add a browser extension to control browser’s homepage and search settings.

For a successful Page-ups.com removal, use a tutorial provided below or a trustworthy security program. You can use one of the programs we list below – they were tested by our expert team and proved to be efficient spyware/malware removal tools.

Uninstall from Windows

Uninstall from Windows 10/8:

  1. Type Control Panel into the Windows search box and open the result.
  2. Under Programs, select Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 10/8

Uninstall from Windows 7/XP:

  1. Click on Windows Start > Control Panel (Windows XP users should click on Add/Remove Programs).
  2. In Control Panel, select Programs > Uninstall a program.Uninstall from Windows 7/XP

Remove the unwanted program:

  1. In the Programs and Features window, look for any recently installed suspicious entries, select them, and click Uninstall.
  2. If User Account Control appears, click Yes to confirm, then complete the removal.Uninstall the unwanted program from Windows

Delete from macOS

Remove the unwanted application:

  1. From the menu bar, select Go > Applications.
  2. In the Applications folder, look for any suspicious entries, then drag them to Trash (or right-click and pick Move to Trash).Uninstall from Mac

Delete leftover files and folders:

  1. Select Go > Go to Folder.
  2. Enter /Library/Application Support and remove any suspicious folders related to the unwanted program.
  3. Repeat the same check in the /Library/LaunchAgents and /Library/LaunchDaemons folders, deleting any suspicious entries.Delete leftover files from Mac
  4. Finally, empty the Trash to permanently remove the leftovers.

Reset Internet Explorer

Remove dangerous add-ons:

  1. Open Internet Explorer, click on the Gear icon (IE menu) on the top-right corner of the browser
  2. Pick Manage Add-ons.
  3. You will see a Manage Add-ons window. Here, look for suspicious plugins. Click on these entries and select Disable.Remove add-ons from Internet Explorer

Change your homepage if it was altered:

  1. Open IE and click on the Gear icon.
  2. Select Internet Options.
  3. In the General tab, delete the Home page address and replace it by your preferred one (for example, Google.com).
  4. Click Apply and then select OK.Reset IE homepage

Delete temporary files:

  1. Press on the Gear icon and select Internet Options.
  2. Under Browsing history, click Delete...
  3. Select relevant fields and press Delete.Clear temporary files from Internet Explorer

Reset Internet Explorer:

  1. Click on Gear icon > Internet options and select Advanced tab.
  2. Select Reset.
  3. In the new window, check Delete personal settings and select Reset.Reset Internet Explorer

Remove from Microsoft Edge

Delete unwanted extensions from MS Edge:

  1. Select Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and pick Extensions.
  2. From the list, pick the extension and click on the Gear icon.
  3. Click Remove.Remove extensions from Edge

Clear cookies and other browser data:

  1. Click on the Menu (three horizontal dots at the top-right of the browser window) and select Settings > Privacy, search, and services..
  2. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  3. Select Cookies and other site data and Cached images and files. (apart from passwords, although you might want to include Media licenses as well, if applicable) and click on Clear.Clear Edge browsing data

Restore new tab and homepage settings:

  1. Click the menu icon and choose Settings.
  2. Then find On startup section.
  3. Click Remove next to any suspicious startup page.

Reset MS Edge if the above steps did not work:

  1. Press on Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
  2. Click on More details arrow at the bottom of the window.
  3. Select Details tab.
  4. Now scroll down and locate every entry with Microsoft Edge name in it. Right-click on each of them and select End Task to stop MS Edge from running.Reset MS Edge

Instructions for Chromium-based Edge

Delete extensions from MS Edge (Chromium):

  1. Open Edge and click select Settings > Extensions.
  2. Delete unwanted extensions by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chromium Edge

Clear cache and site data:

  1. Click on Menu and go to Settings.
  2. Select Privacy, search and services.
  3. Under Clear browsing data, pick Choose what to clear.
  4. Under Time range, pick All time.
  5. Select Clear now.Clear browser data from Chroum Edge

Reset Chromium-based MS Edge:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. On the left side, pick Reset settings.
  3. Select Restore settings to their default values.
  4. Confirm with Reset.
  5. This will disable extensions and reset startup pages but will not delete bookmarks, saved passwords, or browsing history.Reset Chromium Edge

Remove from Mozilla Firefox (FF)

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click on the Menu (three horizontal lines at the top-right of the window).
  2. Select Add-ons.
  3. In here, select the unwanted extension and click Remove.Remove extensions from Firefox

Reset the homepage:

  1. Click three horizontal lines at the top right corner to open the menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Under Home, set your preferred homepage and new tab settings.

Clear cookies and site data:

  1. Click Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Go to Privacy & Security section.
  3. Scroll down to locate Cookies and Site Data.
  4. Click on Clear Data...
  5. Select Cookies and Site Data and Temporary cached files and pages, then click Clear.Clear cookies and site data from Firefox

Reset Mozilla Firefox

If clearing the browser as explained above did not help, reset Mozilla Firefox:

  1. Open Mozilla Firefox browser and click the Menu.
  2. Go to Help and then choose Troubleshooting Information.Reset Firefox 1
  3. Under Give Firefox a tune up section, click on Refresh Firefox...
  4. Once the pop-up shows up, confirm the action by pressing on Refresh Firefox.Reset Firefox 2

Remove from Google Chrome

Delete malicious extensions from Google Chrome:

  1. Open Google Chrome, click on the Menu (three vertical dots at the top-right corner) and select More tools > Extensions.
  2. In the newly opened window, you will see all the installed extensions. Uninstall all suspicious extensions related to the unwanted program by clicking Remove.Remove extensions from Chrome

Clear cache and web data from Chrome:

  1. Click on Menu and pick Settings.
  2. Under Privacy and security, select Clear browsing data.
  3. Select Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, as well as Cached images and files.
  4. Click Clear data.Clear cache and web data from Chrome

Change your homepage:

  1. Click menu and choose Settings.
  2. Look for a suspicious site in the On startup section.
  3. Click on Open a specific or set of pages and click on three dots to find the Remove option.

Reset Google Chrome:

If the previous methods did not help you, reset Google Chrome to eliminate all the unwanted components:

  1. Click on Menu and select Settings.
  2. In the Settings, scroll down and click Advanced.
  3. Scroll down and locate Reset and clean up section.
  4. Now click Restore settings to their original defaults.
  5. Confirm with Reset settings.Reset Chrome 2

Delete from Safari

Remove dangerous extensions:

  1. Open Safari, click Safari in the menu at the top-left of the screen, and select Preferences.
  2. Go to the Extensions tab, look for any suspicious entries, and click Uninstall to remove them.Remove extensions from Safari

Clear history and website data:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and pick Clear History.
  2. Set Clear to all history and confirm with Clear History.Clear history from Safari

Reset Safari:

  1. Click Safari in the menu and select Preferences > Advanced.
  2. Enable Show Develop menu in menu bar.
  3. From the menu bar, click Develop and select Empty Caches.Reset Safari

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